In the UK, the police have to deal with many different scenarios and in many different areas – rural policing is different to policing in towns and cities and in order to make sure that they are able to do their job, the police also use many different kinds of vehicles.
Most police cars are marked with chapter 8 chevrons, the police logo and the hi vis markings, and also come equipped with blue lights, a siren and other modifications that make it suitable for police use.
Here are some of the different cars that are used on the roads in the UK…
Motorway Police Cars – In order to do the type of work that is required on a motorway, police cars need to be able to perform at a high speed. Motorway police cars may need to give chase, so they need to have a large and powerful engine. The most common types of cars used for motorway pursuits are the BMW X5, and the Volvo V70 among others.
These types of car may have modifications to make them more able to reach the high speeds that are required of them. The police who do this kind of work need to complete an advanced driving test to ensure that they can work safely at high speeds.
Unmarked Police Cars – Most of the time you probably won’t notice an unmarked police car as they are not covered with logos and chevrons. However, they do have a blue light which they will put on when they are giving chase, and this is what will let you know that it is an unmarked car. These cars tend to undertake specialist operations, including transporting armed police, drugs busts and undercover operations.
Dog Handler Police Cars – These cars will have the dog support unit logo on the car and will be large enough to ensure that they can transport dogs safely and comfortably in the back. The dog handlers undergo specialist training to work with police dogs and the dogs can be utilised for all kinds of scenarios. They may be required to help track down a missing person, detect drugs or potential weapons.
Dogs play a vital role in the police force, and they live with their handler in their own home, so they have the bond and rapport required.
